Poisoning the Planet. Environmental injustice
A reflection by Shemeen Chappell on “Poisoning the Planet: The struggle for Environmental Justice” by Pellow, David and Robert Brulle
People for Community Recovery (PCR) is a grassroots environmental justice organization founded in 1979 by Hazel M. Johnson. The group originated in the south side of Chicago and formed environmental justice movements all over Chicago. Pcr amongst many other environmental justice groups are leading movements against environmental injustices that are primarily located in marginalized, poor communities of color. Studies found that such communities are systematically targeted to have these polluting facilities placed in their neighborhoods, but the community is fighting back with grassroots organizations like PCR and other local movements. Groups like PCR have expanded their movement beyond removing hazards and expanded to educate communities on promoting safe environments.
Municipal waste incinerators and Medical waste incinerators are pollutants that cause great concern. Pollutants are emitted from combustion. Both methods are widely used for waste disposal however the benefits of the disposal vs the health risk are generating cause for concern about the effects on human health and the polluting of the air. Organizing has made a significant impact on Medical waste incinerators, the number was 6200 incinerators in the US in 1988 and by 2003 was dropped down to 115. The municipal waste incinerator number has increased but that can probably be attributed to the growing number of people in the US.
Environmental inequalities have been documented since the 1970’s with early findings showing the disparities of communities of color and other communities. Studies show the unequal distribution where these plants are located. People located next to these incinerators are exposed to these pollutants because after incineration pollutants are dispersed into the air, and some people close to the facility may be exposed directly through inhalation or indirectly through consumption of food or water contaminated by deposition of the pollutants from air to soil, vegetation, and water. Persistent pollutants can be carried long distances from their emission sources.
Government agencies should be held accountable for making information public about the toxicity levels and emission statuses generated from waste incinerators into communities. They should also be liable for regulating the waste facilities. The government has a responsibility to the citizens of this country whether poor, black, and marginalized, whatever nationality or financial status, the government should protect the people and their environments from pollution to the best of its ability. Living next to a waste incinerator or landfill should be a choice not dropped in the middle of your neighborhood and you are exposed to toxic materials without your knowledge. Most people living near landfills or waste incinerators have no
This article provided evidence that organizing for environmental justice is an ongoing need. People are suffering in communities of color where there are so many injustices in the neighborhood that pollution is not a top priority but needs to be known about. Yes environmental justice is a part of our everyday lives but how many people feel they have the ability to do something about it. More recruitment is needed in poor communities to get people thinking and knowing and doing for their own community. Missing from this article is how toxic are the landfills that are all over the country and growing at an alarming rate.
National Research Council 2000. Waste Incineration and Public Health. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/5803
